Drumroll please (or maybe a Revolutionary War snare drum)

View from the house site of the Green Mountains

May 2, 2025

How appropriate that spring has just arrived, opening buds creating a softness to the hills, and we are beginning our concrete plans for the Ridge Road house.  Here’s to new beginnings!

The house site as viewed from the Ridge Road

My first meeting with both Phil Godenschwager (the designer and plan architect) and Joe Bertrand (the builder) was at Phil’s artist studio on Weston Street in Randolph. 

Before the meeting I had about an hour to go to the Ridge Road site in Randolph Center, up on the hill, and meander, think, assess.  I took detailed photos of the barn in order to start a list for my barn builder/repair person Avery (Butch) Howe, Jack of all trades and homebuilder himself (and brother-in-law) <3 .  I am so lucky he is willing to help with the barn project to ready it for my horses.  The barn, well-built by Charles Cooley has sat empty of equines for at least 20 years.  Old hay bales sit in the loft, along with a sleigh and horse cart. 

The barn is built into the hillside, hay goes in here, the horses (also at ground level) below

Downstairs in the stall area- old hand tools, some horse leathers, and a few piles of storage items from a brother fill the space.  Cleaning will be the number one priority here and that job falls to me.  I want to open it up of all and any debris, make trips to the dump, sweep, see what the floors really look like under hay and other organic matter, and better assess it for the reality of horses (their safety and comfort). No stray sharp objects for them to stab themselves on, no exposed windows where glass can break, nothing for them to get into.

After that Butch can come in and do his magic.  Closing in the upper entry on the east side of the barn and adding large barn doors will be the most important job, along with a new ramp there.  New windows where needed, a new side door below, and closing in openings that might let the weather in, are all part of what I’ll need help with from Butch.

Meeting with Phil and Joe, we discussed a plan of action.  Joe would like to do the garage in its entirety first, which makes sense.  It will give us a secure place to store tools and a dry work place for Joe and his team.  As we talked we realized that an overhang roof off the east side of the garage will serve to protect a whole house generator and propane tanks, hiding all of that away from view. 

Phil Godenschwager's studio

I stopped by the Randolph Town offices and picked up the building permit which will be good to go as of May 16th, exactly the timing Joe is looking for to start the project.  Here we go!